Boxing Ledger's Archives

Friday, February 4, 2011

Special to Air on Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia this Monday, February 7 at 6:30 p.m. and on The Comcast Network Wednesday, February 16 at 7 p.m.

Philadelphia, PA (Friday, February 4) -Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkinswill be featured this Monday, February 7 (6:30 p.m.) onComcast SportsNet Philadelphia's monthly magazine program"Net Impact Philly"as the sports network celebrates Black History Month by profiling some of the city's most influential African-American athletes. The program will re-air onThe Comcast Networkon Wednesday, February 16 (7 p.m.), which airs across the country in 14 select local markets.

The feature will give a behind-the-scenes look into Hopkins' life as a 46-year-old boxing legend and amazing success story. Cameras captured Hopkins in the gym as he prepared for his fight against Jean Pascal this past December and continued rolling while he performed his continuous work in the local community. From Hopkins' days as a troubled young man to his unmatched boxing accomplishments, "Net Impact Philly" tells the story of this true Philadelphia champion.

The program will also profile former Temple University Men's Basketball Coach and Hall of Famer John Chaney and Trayvon King, a junior and star point guard at Martin Luther King High School in Philadelphia.

"I am honored to be part of Comcast Philly's celebration of Black History Month," said Hopkins. "Being a Philadelphian is a big part of who I am. I am proud of my roots and I hope that my story can be a positive influence for youth who are growing up in a similar situation as I did to go out and make a negative into a positive."

The only blemishes on McAleese’s otherwise immaculate record have come courtesy of Noble. The first, at Goresbrook Leisure Centre in March last year, was declared a draw by referee Richard James Davis even though McAleese had a superior work rate and had landed the more meaningful shots throughout.

The rematch, at Steve Goodwin’s excellent ‘It’ Personal’ event in September, had far more at stake, being it was for the vacant British Masters Light Middleweight title.

For almost nine rounds McAleese not just outworked Noble, he plain dominated him. Noble’s work rate was exceptionally poor, he seemed content to cover up and absorb the constant barrage of punches, only occasionally responding with the odd jab or flurry here and there.

In the dying seconds of the ninth round Noble let rip with a peach of a right uppercut. It was a near perfect shot and dropped McAleese on the spot.

On learning that Ultrachem TKO gym mate Ochieng’s replacement opponent for Saturday’s Sky Sports televised event was to be Noble, Newmarket’s McAleese was quick to show his support by saying, “I don’t think Erick will have too much trouble, he hits hard, he’s got a fast jab. When I fought him (Lee Noble) I was eight rounds up going into the ninth round but just got caught by a lucky shot.

I think Erick’s a little bit more cagey, I think he’ll pick Noble off and out work him. Noble’ll find it hard because he’ll be hitting down a lot, being taller and Erick gets really low. I think he’ll find it really hard to fight Erick.

Erick will come through with flying colours.”

Switching tack McAleese spoke a little about his last bout as well as his upcoming fight on March 19th and the possibility of a second rematch between himself and Noble, “Trilogy, I’d like to fight him again. I’m fighting on the 19th March and then I’ve got a show on the 30th April, which is in Newmarket where I live.

I’ve boxed him (Noble) twice. The first one I thought I’d won hands down but they gave a draw. The last time I was eight rounds up going into the ninth and got caught by a lucky shot.

I think a third time I’ll want to just put my mind to rest. Neither of them should have been negatives on my record, I just want to set the record straight.

I’ve been working well with Johnny Eames and Brian O’Shaughnessy, who’s my new co-trainer. Doing loads and loads of new things. Come 19th March I’m going to come out a much improved fighter.

Hopefully I’ll get the win and then look for a rematch with Noble.”

‘Phat’ Pat McAleese will next be in action at the Steve Goodwin promoted ‘Essex Eruption’ event, headlined by Tony Conquest and Yassine El Maachi, at the Goresbrook Leisure Centre in Dagenham, Essex, on Saturday 19th March 2011.

Tickets for ‘Essex Eruption’ at the Goresbrook Leisure Centre, Dagenham, Essex on Saturday 19th March 2011 are on sale now - priced £35 (Unreserved) or £60 (Ringside).

Morganville, NJ (February 3, 2011) –Unbeaten junior middleweight Denis “Da Mommas Boy” Douglin will look to take another step in the right direction when he battles cement fisted veteran Doel Carrasquillo Friday, February 18 at the Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury, MD.

Douglin, 12-0 (8 KO’s), is scheduled to fight in an eight rounder for the first time as a professional. The Morganville, NJ native stopped his last five opponents, most recently demolishing 11-2 Matt Berkshire in less than two minutes on December 17.

“I know he is a very rugged and tough guy, so I am training for a hard eight round fight,” said Douglin, the 2008 National Golden Gloves Middleweight Champion. “My goal is to knock him out, impress the fans and leave it out of the judges’ hands!”

The Douglin-Carrasquillo bout is part of the untelevised portion of an ESPN Friday Night Fights card promoted by Prize Fight Boxing in association with Global Boxing Promotions.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

NEW YORK, NY (Feb. 2, 2011) – Some of the top prospects in boxing will be showcased March 12 on the hottest New England pro boxing show of the 21st century, “Diamond Elite,” live on HBO World Championship Boxing from MGM Grand Arena at Foxwoods in Mashantucket, Connecticut.

World Boxing Council (“WBC”) Emeritus and The Ring Magazine middleweight champion, 2010 Fighter of the Year Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez (46-2-2, 25 KOs), takes on World Boxing Organization (“WBO”) junior middleweight champion, Sergiy “Razor” Dzinziruk (37-0, 34 KOs), in the 12-round main event for the vacant World Boxing Council Diamond middleweight title.

The chief supporting fight is “Celtic War,” pitting exciting middleweights Andy Lee of Ireland and Scotland’s Craig McEwan, in the 10-round co-feature of ethnic rivalry, potentially offering world title shot implications for the winner.

Lee (24-1, 18 KOs) will enter the ring riding a nine-fight win streak since his lone career setback to Bryan Vera in 2008. Since then, though, the Emmanuel Steward-trained Irish banger has defeated James Cook, Willie Gibbs, Michael Walker, and former world title challenger Mamadou Thiam. Lee, a 2004 Irish Olympian now living in New York City, is ranked #5 by the WBA and #14 by the WBC.

McEwan (19-0, 10 KOs) was born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, but he now lives in Hollywood, California where he trains with world renowned trainer Freddie Roach, who is a native New Englander. McEwan is coming off the most significant victory of his career on July 23, 2010, when he took a decision from former world title challenger Danny Perez. McEwan also holds a victory over Vera, the only man to defeat Lee as a professional.

An array of undefeated, promising prospects round-out a loaded top-to-bottom card against opponents to soon be determined. Leading the way is explosive Dominican featherweight Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna (13-0, 10 KOs), who has the same head trainer as Martinez, Gabriel Sarmiento, in an 8-round bout. Fortuna had many people tabbing his as the next “Marvilla” after his last performance when he knocked out the previously undefeated Victor Valenzuela in a matter of minutes.

Local favorite Ryan “The Polish Prince” Kielczewski (8-0, 2 KOs), a lightweight from Quincy, Massachusetts, fights February 9 in New York City but he is scheduled to come right back Mar. 12 for a scheduled 6-rounder at MGM Grand at Foxwoods. The 2008 National Golden Gloves Tournament runner-up has a growing legion of passionate fans in New England.

Greek heavyweight Soyna Lamonakis (3-0, 1 KO), a 4-time New York Golden Gloves champion now living in Turner Falls, Massachusetts, brings her crowd-pleasing style into the squared-circle in a 6-round match. Preparing for St. Patrick’s Day, Irish-American light heavyweight Seannie Monaghan (4-0, 3 KOs), fighting out of Long Island, puts his undefeated pro record on the line in a 4-round bout. Also fighting on the undercard in a 4-rounder is California welterweight Abraham Lopez (1-1).

“Diamond Elite: Martinez vs. Dzinziruk” will be presented by DiBella Entertainment in association with Gary Shaw Productions and Banner Promotions. Lee vs. McEwan will be presented by DiBella Entertainment in association with Golden Boy Promotions. Both bouts will be broadcast live on HBO’s World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:30pm ET / 7:30pm PT.

Tickets for “Diamond Elite: Martinez vs. Dzinziruk,” are priced at $450, $250, $125, $75, and $50 and on sale through the MGM Grand at Foxwoods box office. Tickets can be purchased online at www.mgmatfoxwood.com, by calling the MGM Grand at Foxwoods at 1-866-646-0609, or in person at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods box office.

Former IBF Inter-Continental Super Middleweight title challenger Toks Owoh is set to begin his second campaign for championship glory in earnest, albeit this time in the Cruiserweight division. His opponent, at the Steve Goodwin promoted ‘Unleash The Fury’ event at York Hall in Bethnal Green, London, on Saturday 5th March 2011, will be former Southern Area Light Heavyweight Champion JJ Ojuederie.

It was in 2000, after amassing a 16-1 record littered with TKO stoppages, that Toks earned the right to challenge American Glen ‘Road Warrior’ Johnson for the IBF Inter-Continental Super Middleweight Crown. Toks’ dream of a World title shot came to an abrupt end when he was stopped in the sixth round.

Johnson’s unexpected victory catapulted him to World fame and embarked him on a journey that see him move to Light Heavyweight and capture the WBO Inter-Continental light heavyweight title, before securing IBA, IBO and IBF Light Heavyweight World crowns.

Johnson became a super star and battled, and beat, such notables as Clinton Woods Antonio Tarver, Roy Jones, Daniel Judah and Yusaf Mack, whilst Toks on the other hand was left in the wilderness. No fights materialised for almost two years and when they did he had more or less been consigned to ‘journeyman’ status.

Toks did win the first of these bouts, against Mondli Mbonambi in January 2002, but then followed three bad point losses, against Valery Odin, Eric Teymour and Ryan Walls. In the final fight of his first campaign, a four rounder against Paul Bonson at the Equinox Nightclub in London, Toks secured the win and then called it a day.

In October ‘10, following a five year sabbatical, Toks made his long overdue return to the ring with a warm-up four rounder against Hastings Rasani. A tidy 39-37 points victory convinced Toks that he still had what it takes and the search for a promoter began.

His search didn’t take that long and in December 2010 promoter Steve Goodwin signed Toks. The bout against JJ Ojuederie on March 5th will be Toks' debut under the Goodwin Promotions banner and his first step back towards the top flight.

Earlier today Toks spoke briefly on his upcoming fight. “There’s not much for me to say. It’s Leon Williams I really want but he don’t want to fight me. He knows what I am capable of, so he don’t want to fight me. JJ’s been calling me out for a long time so why not fight him.

This is my second fight back since 2005, I was # 3 in the world at one time in my career and I think I can get myself back there. I know what I can do.

I’ve been in there with some of the best fighters in the world, I’ve learned from being in with the best. JJ’s not in my league, just look at my record JJ’s never fight anyone like I fight.

It’s gonna be a good fight, with me and JJ Ojuederie it’s gonna be a good fight.”

Three Ultrachem TKO gym mates of Daryl Setterfield are also on the show, Light Heavyweight Joel ‘El Toro’ McIntyre, Light Middleweights Nathan Weise and Brett O’Callaghan, all against yet to be named opponents.

Gabriel Rosado and Jamaal Davis collide in the all-Philadelphia junior middleweight main event, set for 12 rounds.

Cruz, 24, of Bethlehem, PA, knocked out highly regarded Jeremy Bryan, of Paterson, NJ, in six rounds last Oct. 30 in the same ring. After falling behind in the first three rounds, Cruz took control in the fourth, dropped Bryan twice in the fifth and finished him off with another knockdown 59 seconds in the sixth round when the fight was stopped.

A pro for two years, Cruz has scored seven knockouts en route to a 10-0 record. He is managed by ex-pro lightweight Jimmy Deoria, of Phoenixville, PA.

Cruz has become a regular at Bally’s, having beaten Julias Edmonds, Ashantie Hendrickson and Juan Ramon Cruz there.

Frederick, 28, of Fort Myers, FL, originally was set to fight Cruz last Sept. 25 at Bally’s, but a physical exam in the dressing room the night of the fight revealed Frederick had a sore right hand and the match was canceled. Because of that, Cruz went looking for a fight and grabbed the chance to fight Bryan 35 days later.

A pro since 2001, Frederick is 7-3-1, 4 K0s. He, too, comes here off his best win, a third-round knockout over previously undefeated (12-0-2) Raymond Charles, of El Campo, TX, on July 16 in Tampa, FL.

Five additional bouts complete the card, which begins at 7.30 p.m. The show is being promoted by Peltz Boxing Promotions, Inc.

Tickets priced at $50 and $75 are on sale at the offices of Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922) and all Ticketmaster outlets (800-345-7000). They also can be purchased online at www.Ticketmaster.com and at www.peltzboxing.com.

Jimmy Tibbs, Colin Lynes and Mark Tibbs at the Ultrachem TKO Gym in London

London - Monday, 31st January 2011

When Jimmy Tibbs says that former IBO Light Welterweight World Champion Colin Lynes, whose next fight is on Saturday 12th February 2011 at Olympia in Liverpool, could campaign for a second world crown, this time at Welterweight, only a boxing philistine could possibly doubt the man’s words.

Jimmy has spent more than 50 years in boxing, he was a top-class amateur and professional boxer and has also been a manager and a promoter. However as a trainer Jimmy earned the reputation of being one of, if not, Britain's finest.

Over the years Jimmy has prepared and guided such British Boxing luminaries as Nigel Benn, Chris Pyatt, Charlie Magri, Barry McGuigan, Steve Collins, Dennis Andries, Wayne Alexander, Lloyd Honeyghan, Alex Arthur and Frank Bruno to World Championship success, and many more to British, Commonwealth and European honours.

Currently Jimmy is coaching, in addition to the aforementioned Colin Lynes, some of the brightest upcoming young British fighters such as the Mitchell brothers, Kevin and Vinny, former Olympian Billy Joe Saunders, Freddie Turner, Akaash Bhatia and Billy Morgan at the Ultrachem TKO Boxing Gym in Canning Town, London.

It was following a sparring session between Colin and Michael Grant at the TKO gym that Jimmy spoke about the future prospects of the former Light Welterweight World Champion, “Colin Lynes is fighting on the 12th February. He’s been with us for about six months now.

He’s the former British, European and IBO Light Welterweight World Champion. Because of weight problems he’s suffered a bit, so he’s decided to move up to Welterweight.

We’ve had him moving about with some good Middleweights, Light Middleweights and he’s as strong as an Ox.

Give him a couple of warm up fights and he’ll end up fighting for a Welterweight title, whether that’s the British title, Commonwealth title or European title, and he will win it because of the life he lives and the way he looks after himself. He’s always in condition, and that doesn’t mean to say that he’s training every day.

He looks after his body when he’s not training, and that’s what a lot of youngsters should learn in this game today.

They have one fight, two fights, they go away and come back rolypolys and all they’re doing is not training to get fight fit, they’re training to get the weight off. I’ve got a couple of fighters that should go to a clinic and see a doctor because they’re going to be in serious trouble in years to come.

Whereas Colin Lynes is 33 years of age, he’s had 41 fights and he’s not got a mark on him. He’s got the rhythm of a twenty year old because he looks after his body in and out the ring.

He’s got a spring in his step, he’s still got that, he makes people work, in and out, in and out all the time, he makes them move their body about. That’s because he looks after himself when he’s not boxing.

In my opinion Colin could still fight for another World title.”

Colin Lynes, against a yet to be named opponent, will be on the undercard of the Matchroom Sports promoted John Watson versus Anthony Crolla, for the vacant British Lightweight title, on Saturday 12th February 2011 at Olympia in Liverpool. www.tkoboxinggym.com

Boxing aficionados are in for a double treat this week, Mark Wahlberg’s movie ‘The Fighter’ hits the big screen and Steve ‘Mr Boxing’ Bunce’s excellent thriller ‘The Fixer’ is back in the bookshops, resplendent in it’s new cover, having gone to it’s second print.

Whilst Mark Wahlberg based ‘The Fighter’ on a well documented story of ‘Irish’ Mickey Ward’s journey to the WBU World title. Steve takes a very different tack, instead of focusing on a well known boxer, his protagonist is from another realm of the sport altogether, one that I know only too well, as Steve’s hero is a boxing writer come ‘middleman’.

The Fixer , which was first published in April 2010, follows a month in the life of a fight fixer called Ray Lester - he puts people in the fight business together and scrapes a living from a variety of legal jobs inside the boxing business.

Ray is contacted by a wayward blonde and asked to find her dad. He agrees and ends up coming close to too many nutjobs. He ends up in Las Vegas at the Hatton-Mayweather fight, on Atlantic City's dirty boardwalk, in an East End gym and on the bleak streets of Blackpool trying to make sense of the carnage; at the same time he has to make an honest living from his list of fighters and mad contacts.

On the news that The Fixer has made a welcome return to the bookshops Steve said, "It's a great time for the second print of the book to come out. The new film, The Fighter, just won two Golden Globes and will be a massive hit. In the USA a new boxing show on FX called Lights Out is getting rave reviews. This book fits right in there and there is clearly an appetite for an unconventional look at the boxing business.

I've been in the business since I was about ten at the old St.Pancras nursery near St.Pancras station, Las Vegas for over 50 fights, Olympic boxing, forgotten nights, deaths and a zillion ringsides talking cobblers. Great way to waste a life!

There is a lot of talk about journeymen boxers at the moment with all the Prizefighter buzz. Well, my book is packed with journeymen and the men that control them and use them. In the book the journeyman comes close to getting a voice - close. He's too bashed up to speak and has to eat a kebab through a straw!

The Fixer is part of a quartet - the second book will be out next year.

A lot of fight people have called me after reading it and told me: 'I found it, I've found myself. Thanks, Steve.' That's quality."

Steve Bunce, better known as Buncey, has worked as a journalist and broadcaster since 1985 and is widely regarded as 'the voice of British boxing'.

A regular columnist for Boxing Monthly, Buncey also contributes to The Independent and the Sunday Herald. He has a monthly boxing show on BBC Radio Five Live and hosts a weekly boxing chat show on BBC Radio London 94.9 & DAB on Thursdays at 8pm.

The Fixer by Steve Bunce is available now on-line at Amazon.com and all good bookshops, RRP. £9.99.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

For a brief time, Devon Alexander and Timothy Bradley's professional boxing careers stood promisingly side-by-side. But, by the end of the night at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, their stature in the highly competitive junior welterweight division were quite different, resembling two elevators that had traveled in vastly opposite directions.

Timothy Bradley (27-0, 11 KO's) unified the WBC/WBO Junior Welterweight titles, capturing a ten-round technical decision victory over Devon Alexander (21-1, 13 KO's). The fight went to the scorecards after referee Frank Garza, on the advice of the ringside physician, deemed Alexander unable to continue due to an accidental clash of heads. Official scores were 96-95, 97-93 and 98-93 all in favor of Bradley.

As round one began, Bradley, 27, intensely brought the fight to the 23-year-old Alexander, who circled to his left and looked for openings.

In round two, Bradley charged Alexander when he saw a gap within Alexander's stance. Alexander seemed confused once Bradley got into close range, and looked to land sharp counters immediately. With Bradley momentarily off-balanced, Alexander caught him with a well-timed right hook.

Bradley landed a huge left - right combination in the early moments of round three. After that, Alexander landed a right hook. Then, Bradley responded with a hard body blow. During an exchange, Alexander sustained a cut right eye, which was clearly the result of an accidental headbutt. However, referee Frank Garza wrongly indicated the cut resulted from a punch.

Both men fought sloppy in round four, winging wide shots and clinching. Still, Bradley was putting more 'pop' into his punches.

After Bradley connected with a right to the body in the fifth round, Alexander quickly countered with a straight left. As Bradley became more threatening, Alexander unleashed a higher punch output.

In round six, Bradley landed a flush right hand on Alexander's face, but the St. Louis native absorbed the punch exceptionally well. Afterward, Alexander dictated the momentum by outworking Bradley behind a large volume of punches.

Bradley dominated the first minute of the seventh round, although Alexander controlled the pace in the middle of the round. Alexander established his range, firing a series of right hooks and straight lefts. Both men exchanged blows at a furious pace the last 45 seconds of the round.

Two more accidental headbutts occurred in the eighth round, leaving both fighters slightly jarred. Alexander gave Bradley minor swelling under his left cheek after landing a powerful right hook.

Alexander landed a razor-sharp left uppercut in the ninth round, but Bradley countered instantly with swift right hand shots.

The final headbutt of the fight took place in the tenth round, which left Alexander in excruciating pain. Bradley moved into close range, appearing to throw a right, but the left side of his head collided ferociously with the left side of Alexander's head. While the ringside doctor conducted his examination of Alexander in the corner, Alexander complained of a burning sensation. This headbutt did not open a cut on Alexander's face or head, however, Bradley displayed a minor cut on the corner of his left eye in his post-fight interview with HBO's Larry Merchant.

At times, Alexander seemed hesitant to mix it up, waiting on Bradley to make a mistake. Bradley, on the other hand, forced the action the entire fight, showing the hard-nosed, courageous effort fight fans have grown accustomed to seeing from him.

There is a rematch clause in their contract, and it seems Alexander is interested in exercising the option.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Newark, NJ (January 29, 2011) –Unbeaten lightweight Michael Angelo “The Artist” Perez of Newark, NJ will return to Puerto Rico on Friday, February 4 as part of the first ever fight card in the city of Lares at the Coliseo Felix Mendez Acevedo when he faces Marcos Herrera 6-3-1 (2 KO’s).

Telefutura will televise the highly anticipate evening of boxing at 11:30 pm ET as part of their “Solo Boxeo Tecate” series.

When the opening bell sounds, Perez, 11-0 (5 KO’s), will be less than two months removed from his December 10 eight round slugfest against Jose Hernandez. In that fight, his first scheduled for eight rounds, Perez dug deep to pull out a thrilling decision victory, leaving the capacity crowd in Agua, Buenas, Puerto Rico and fans watching at home on Telefutura on the edge of their seats throughout the contest.

While most fighters would take a considerable amount of time before returning to the squared circle following a grueling slugfest, the 2008 National Golden Gloves Champion feels it’s his duty to represent what he calls his second hometown.

“It’s a pleasure to be fighting in Lares,” said Perez, most of whose family members and friends live in Lares. “Everybody has been asking me when I was coming back to Puerto Rico and Golden Boy decided to promote another card here, so it was a natural fit. I’m really looking forward to putting on another great show for my loyal fans.”

Tickets start at only $12 and can be purchased by calling Ticketcenter at 787-792-5000 or visitingtcpr.com.

The card is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Promociones Miguel Cotto and H2 Entertainment.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker has joined Zab Judah's training camp to help Zab prepare for his upcoming title fight against Kaizer Mabuza.

Judah was frequently compared to fellow southpaw, Whitaker, who was also promoted by Main Events. Whitaker had this to say: "It's the beginning stages, but I am very impressed. I'm impressed with his work ethic. We're working twice a day. I see the change in Zab, he's changed a lot. I remember how his camps used to be, a lot of people around making noise, hollering and screaming. That doesn't happen anymore. He's much more focused."

"I'm putting Zab in school again and he's learning it all over again. I'm here to teach and I'm not playing around with him. Zab's got all the skills in the world, we just got to bring them out, get rid of all the bad habits."

"We've got a lot of similarities and that's the good part about it. There's always been a lot of me in the kid from the beginning. I'm just here to bring it out. I'm here to bring out the things they said I've done so well and that I know he can do well also."

One southpaw working with another southpaw: "That's a big thing. I don't have to be switching it around. It's natural. It' a match made in heaven for me. It's a blessing to be given the opportunity to work with Zab, to put him back on top, put him back in the position that I think he belongs in and to hold on to it. Almost anybody can get a world title, but can you hold it?"

"To beat Mabuza, Zab just needs to box. Be a boxer, not a fighter or a brawler. A lot of the African fighters are the same way, they just come to fight, and a fighter could never beat a good boxer. Zab's just gotta be smart that's all. He's got all the skills. You can't make that up."

Zab Judah talked about working with Whitaker, "When I was young I was privileged to work with such a great ring technician. Back then I sparred with him and I witnessed his skill. At this point in my career, Pernell isn't just going through the moves with me, he's explaining the techniques, the how and why. I'm listening, I'm learning. You know, it's like putting a hard drive into a computer; you're just downloading all that information, making it all work. Actually, Pernell and I started working together in about 1990. Now we're just polishing up!"

"Pernell is a very talented left-handed person period. It's a different thing working with someone who is 100% left-handed instead of working with someone who switches just for the moment. That person who is 100% left-handed, this is what they do 24 hours a day, so you get the experience from someone who lives it. Some of the moves and things he shows me I can tell that you got to be left handed to pull this off."

"We work out twice a day, morning is the boxing workout and then later in the day we do our conditioning. I'm learning the 'Pernell Whitaker secret' to strengthen my legs, its top secret. I feel great. God gave me speed and power, by learning new defensive and offensive techniques from Pernell we're creating an unstoppable force."

"I say to all my fans, stay tuned on March 5th to see the Zab Judah you love to watch, and to non-believers I say stay tuned and become believers. GODSPEED."

Judah (40-6, 27 KOs), will take on South Africa's Mabuza (23-6-3, 14 KOs) for the vacant Jr Welterweight crown on March 5th at the Amerihealth Pavilion at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The fight is being offered on Integrated Sports PPV.

TKO Box OfficeSteve Goodwin for CLM PromotionsPresentsUNLEASH THE FURY5th March 2011 @ York Hall, London

London - Thursday, 27th January 2011

Steve Goodwin celebrates his first year as a boxing promoter with two huge shows in March, the first, at York Hall in Bethnal Green, London on Saturday 5th March 2011, is headlined by Toks Owoh versus JJ Ojuderie and is supported by no less than fourteen bouts featuring the cream of the Capital’s upcoming young fighters.

On announcing the ‘Unleash The Fury’ event Steve Goodwin said, “The York Hall show, ‘Unleash The Fury’, on March 5th is a showcase for our boxers that are on the way up.

Our main show is at Dagenham on March 19th but we’ve got a lot of people that want to fight on our shows. Basically we’ve created a second show where we’re going to see a lot of upcoming talent, as well as a couple of boxers that have the potential to go to British and European championship level.

Toks Owoh will be headlining the show, he’s desperate to box Southern Area champion Leon Williams. He’s so desperate to fight Leon he says he’d do it for free because he wants to hurt him badly. He says he doesn’t want money for that. He’ll enjoy it. Unfortunately Leon’s got other arrangements, he’s on a Frank Maloney show in February.

Toks is hoping to put on a real good show on March 5th against JJ Ojuederie because he wants to show he can do a better job on JJ than Leon did. But he desperately wants to get Leon in the ring. Toks is after the British title, just the same as Leon is. That could be an interesting match up for later in 2011.

Also on the show we have the World Kick Boxing Champion, Llir Canolli from Cosavo. He’s very, very exciting to see. He is very well regarded and has been tipped to become a Boxing World Champion. So we’re very privileged for him to be coming over to fight on the show. He’s a true Cruiserweight prospect so we’re very excited to be seeing him.

I’m personally excited to see the come back of Michael Devine. He’s a very, very exciting come forward fighter. He lost in his last fight, on his 21st birthday, against Mark Alexander last year.

He took some time out and got himself back together. He’s working like a demon in the gym and I think this is the year we see Michael Devine progress through the ranks. Hopefully by December we’ll have Mark Alexander back in the ring with him so he can set the record straight.

It’s a big card, there will be fifteen bouts on the night. It’s going to be a big card, anything I am associated with I want to be known as giving value for money by the public and make sure that there is always a fantastic atmosphere and packed arenas.

It’s going to be a lot of four round fights with up and coming prospects. It’s going to be an exciting night of boxing. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Steve Goodwin’s ‘Unleash The Fury’ event at York Hall, Bethnal Green, London is headlined by a six round Cruiserweight contest between Toks Owoh versus JJ Ojuederie.

The huge fourteen bout undercard features some of London’s best upcoming talents and includes Ultrachem TKO’s ‘Dynamo’ Daryl Setterfield against Birmingham’s Andrew ‘Paddy’ Patterson.

Three Ultrachem TKO gym mates of Daryl Setterfield are also on the show, Light Heavyweight Joel ‘El Toro’ McIntyre, Light Middleweights Nathan Weise and Brett O’Callaghan, all against yet to be named opponents.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Streatham’s Leon ‘Solid’ Williams gets his first outing, under the Frank Maloney promotional banner, when he faces Blackpool based Slovakian Richard Turba at Brentwood Leisure Centre, Essex on Saturday 5th February 2011, on the undercard of Jamie Arthur vs Jason Booth Commonwealth Super Bantamweight title clash.

Williams, ranked #6 in Britain and #77 in the World by BoxRec, is the current BBBofC Southern Area Cruiserweight Champion. Back in October Williams put in a dominating performance to beat former Southern Area Light Heavyweight champion JJ Ojuederie and lift the title by a virtual shutout 99-92 points margin.

Come February 5th Williams will have to put in an equally perfect performance as it seems that Frank Maloney is determined to test his latest signing to the max, in this non-championship bout, by matching him with Turba.

Turba, who has 5-2-1 record, has stopped four of his opponents, including in his last bout forcing another Maloney fighter, Prizefighter Cruiserweight winner Jon Lewis Dickinson, to retire with a broken jaw.

Following a training session, with his new manager and co-trainer Johnny Eames at his Ultrachem TKO Gym in Canning Town, Williams made it crystal clear that he wasn’t fazed at the prospect one iota, “I’ll be up against some guy called Richard Turba, he’s gonna get crushed. It’s my time now.

It’s gonna be a really good fight. I don’t back down so someone’s gonna get crushed and it’s not gonna be me.

It’s just a six rounder to get me ready for my Southern Area title defense. Not sure when that’ll be or who against.

For now I just want to keep busy and build up my record and push for the British, that’s the title I want by the end of the year. That’s my goal.”

Also featured on the card will be a six round Super Flyweight contest which pits former British Bantamweight Champion Martin Power against the unbeaten Ashley Sexton.

Commonwealth Gold and Olympic Bronze medalist Heavyweight David Price will be in action against South Africa’s Osborne ‘Big Daddy’ Machimana. In another Heavyweight bout Tom Dallas also gets African opposition, this time in Zambia’s Francis ‘Galagata’ Zulu.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Tomasz Adamek will challenge one of the world champion Klitschko brothers in Poland in September. The final decision whether it will be WBC Champion Vitali Klitschko or IBF/WBO/IBO Champion Wladimir will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

Tomasz Adamek is 34 years-old and lives in New Jersey (USA). Adamek was a cruiserweight and light heavyweight champion before he moved up to the heavyweight division. He won all his five heavyweight bouts, amongst which were his strong performance against former world title challenger Chris Arreola.Adamek's fight record is 43 (38 KOs) wins in 44 fights with just one defeat.

Before the scheduled Adamek clash both Klitschkos will defend their titles. Vitali Klitschko fights WBC #1 ranked Odlanier Solis in Cologne (Germany) on March 19. His younger brother Wladimir will face off with British and Commonwealth Champion Dereck Chisora in Mannheim (Germany) on April 30. Also Adamek plans a fight in April. If both Klitschkos were to lose, the deal with Adamek would be dead. If one loses, Adamek would face the other brother. If both Klitschkos win, the choice of Adamek's opponent would be decided by the Klitschko side.

Klitschko vs. Adamek will take place in a newly built soccer arena where the UEFA EURO 2012 will happen. Poland and Ukraine are both organizers of the European soccer championship. Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko are already Friends of EURO 2012 and thus official ambassadors of the tournament. Vitali is also a member of the local organizing committee of Ukraine.

"A fight in a soccer stadium needs a lot of handling time. Therefore we cannot wait until all three have done their fights. We will start negotiating with TV station in Germany, Poland and USA in the next weeks to find a suitable date quickly", says Bernd Bönte, Managing Director of Klitschko Management Group.

"Adamek is very experienced, fast and a hard punching opponent. Whether it is Wladimir or me, we have to be very concentrated during the entire fight. It is fantastic that a Polish and a Ukrainian boxer will be together in the ring to set the first sports highlight in the run down to the EURO 2012", says Vitali Klitschko.

Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions, "We have promoted Klitschko fights in the highest profile arenas throughout the world, from Madison Square Garden in NY to Staples Center in LA and the largest soccer stadiums throughout Germany.Klitschko fights are huge events on the world stage and we are excited to bring a heavyweight championship fight to one of the new soccer stadiums in Poland, it should be a great atmosphere."

Tomasz Adamek "I am very happy. I would like to thank the Klitschko's for being very generous with the percentage offer. I am looking forward to this fight." He acknowledged, "It doesn't make a difference to me which Klitschko I fight. Right now they are both the biggest stars in the boxing world and I want to fight the biggest stars. I'm grateful for the opportunity."

Kathy Duva, Main Events, CEO, "We are extremely excited that Tomasz Adamek will not only get the opportunity to realize his dream of becoming the World Heavyweight Champion and the first man ever to win the Light Heavyweight, Cruiserweight and Heavyweight crowns in September, but that he will do so in his native Poland. Klitschko-Adamek will be Poland's first ever Megafight.I can't wait to start working with the Klitschko Team on what will undoubtedly be an historic promotion and a spectacular event."

Ziggy Rozalski, Tomasz Adamek co-promoter, Ziggy Promotions, Inc, "We are very happy with this deal. The Klitschko's were very generous." He added, "I am shocked that the Klitschko's agreed to do this fight in Poland, but it's in the middle of Europe. Obviously we will have many Polish fans, but a lot of Ukraine people live in Poland and all the Klitschko fans that live in Germany will also come see the fight. It's a great deal for everyone."

NEW YORK, NY (Jan 25, 2011) – The consensus 2010 Fighter of the Year, Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez is gearing up for another banner campaign in 2011. It all starts on March 12 when Martinez, the recognized champion at middleweight squares off with reigning World Boxing Organization (“WBO”) junior middleweight champion, Sergiy “Razor” Dzinziruk at the MGM Grand Arena at Foxwoods in Mashantucket, Connecticut. The winner will walk away with the prestigious World Boxing Council (“WBC”) Diamond Championship at middleweight.

In the co-feature attraction, two of Western Europe’s best, and most exciting pugilists, Andy Lee of Ireland and Scotland’s Craig McEwan do battle in a ten round “Celtic War” in the middleweight division.

“Diamond Elite: Martinez vs. Dzinziruk” will be presented by DiBella Entertainment in association with Gary Shaw Productions and Banner Promotions. Lee vs. McEwan will be presented by DiBella Entertainment in association with Golden Boy Promotions. Both bouts will be broadcast live on HBO’s World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:30pm ET / 7:30pm PT.

Tickets for “Diamond Elite: Martinez vs. Dzinziruk,” are priced at $450, $250, $125, $75, and $50 and will go on sale Wednesday, January 26, at 10:00am ET through the MGM Grand at Foxwoods box office. Tickets can be purchased online at www.mgmatfoxwood.com, by calling the MGM Grand at Foxwoods at 1-866-646-0609, or in person at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods box office.

“March 12 is what world class boxing is all about,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Sergio Martinez is proving that he has no interest in resting on his laurels by taking on an accomplished champion such as Sergiy Dzinziruk. Once again, ‘Maravilla’ will show why he is not only the 2010 FIghter of the Year, but also the people's champion.

“Those looking for a good ole fashioned knock down, drag out war to ring in St. Patrick's Day will be fulfilled when Andy Lee and Craig McEwan duke it out. Both are old school sluggers with proud roots. Get your tickets now, because with such great action assured, they will not last.”

Martinez (46-2-2, 25 KOs), 35, is coming off the biggest year of his professional life. Last April, he won the middleweight championship, in just his second bout at the weight class, with a dominating 12-round victory over Kelly Pavlik at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Seven months later on November 20, Martinez, a native of Argentina by way of Oxnard, California, returned to Boardwalk Hall to face Paul Williams in a rematch of his razor thin majority decision loss to Paul Williams, which was widely heralded as one of the best fights of 2009. If their first showdown was Fight of the Year, Martinez left no doubt in 2010 in what was certainly the Knockout of the Year. Just a minute into the second round, Martinez landed a booming overhand left that knocked Williams out cold and sent shockwaves throughout the sports world. To cap off 2010, Martinez was lauded by nearly ever publication and organization – including ESPN, the Boxing Writers Association of America, Yahoo Sports, Sports Illustrated, MaxBoxing.com, BoxingScene.com, AOL Fanhouse, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, El Paso Times, San Antonio Express-News, Secondsout.com, and The Ring Magazine – as Fighter of the Year.

“I believe my next fight could be my best fight of my career because my boxing is getting better, I am physically stronger, and I am stronger mentally,” said Martinez. “My rival is a great fighter and a great champion for several years now but on March 12 he will fight the best Sergio Martinez and the fans will witness a spectacular show and the best fight of my career.”

Dzinziruk (37-0, 34 KOs), 34, has held the WBO 154 lb. title since 2005 when he decisioned Daniel Santos in his adopted home of Germany. Since then, the native of Ukraine has defended his title successfully six times, including his last bout which served as both his American debut and debut under the joint promotional banner of Gary Shaw Productions and Banner Promotions. In that bout, on May 14, 2010, in Santa Ynez, California, Dzinziruk systematically broke down Daniel Dawson en route to a tenth round stoppage.

“First of all, it’s a great opportunity for everyone involved to fight such great champions” said Dzinziruk. “I really appreciate the opportunity to fight Sergio Martinez and show the world how good I am. I am looking forward to the fight and I am very excited. I have not tasted defeated yet and I want to keep it that way. My team and I know how much work was done by Banner Promotions and Gary Shaw Productions to make this fight and it is greatly appreciated. We’re looking forward to a great fight with Sergio Martinez.”

Lee (24-1, 18 KOs), 26, is riding a nine fight winning streak since his lone career setback: a loss to Bryan Vera in 2008. Since then, the Emmanuel Steward-trained Irish slugger has compiled some of the best wins of his career over the likes of experienced veterans James Cook, Willie Gibbs, Michael Walker, and former world title challenger Mamadou Thiam. Lee is ranked #5 by the WBA and #14 by the WBC.

“I'm looking forward to fighting,” said Lee. “This fight gives me the chance to prove how good I am. McEwan is a very good boxer. He will test me, but it's a test I welcome. I'd like to thank my management and Lou DiBella for making this fight and giving me the chance to showcase my skills on HBO. I plan on showing everyone how good I am on March 12.”

McEwan (19-0, 10 KOs), 28, was born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, but now lives in California where he trains with the world renowned Freddie Roach. McEwan is coming off the biggest win of his career on July 23, 2010, when he took a decision from former world title challenger Danny Perez. McEwan also holds a victory over Bryan Vera, the man who handed Lee his lone defeat. McEwan is ranked #12 by the WBO.

“Andy Lee is a good fighter, but I'm at my best when I fight good fighters," said McEwan. "I'm excited to have the chance to fight on HBO and show everyone what I can do.”

Former World Champion, turned promoter, Graham Earl today hinted at the possibility of a rematch, between Portsmouth’s Paul Morby and Essex’s Daniel ‘The Slick’ Cadman, after their Southern Area Super Middleweight Title clash on Saturday being declared a draw by referee Jeff Hines.

Jeff Hines really had his work cut out as every round was close, many far too close to call. Whilst his decision was probably the fairest, a large percentage of those ringside disagreed having felt Cadman, who had been the far more aggressive of the pair, had done enough to lift the title.

This opinion wasn’t restricted to Cadman supporters as became clear when Morby’s manager-promoter Graham Earl spoke earlier today “I’d been running around so didn’t get to see the whole fight, but what I saw was that the fight seemed to be going Daniel Cadman’s way

Obviously I manage and promote Paul Morby so having a draw was good for me, as he lives to fight another day really.

It did look like he (Paul Morby) was coming on stronger in the final couple of rounds, maybe that was their tactics. I did see, I think it was the ninth round, and Paul seemed to be landing some heavy shots.

I think that now Paul’s had this wake up call, he’ll work harder so that we can look to move him on, maybe one more defense, which could well be a rematch in the near future with Daniel Cadman, then we’ll move Paul on to bigger and better things.”

The prospect of a rematch between these two closely matched battlers is sure to please the Cadman camp more than Morby’s, after all the draw did enable Morby to retain the title.

Graham Earl is expected to be announcing the details of his next show shortly, which may or may not include Morby- Cadman II for the Southern Area Super Middleweight title.

Monday, January 24, 2011

On Friday, February 11th, Star Boxing's welterweight contender Shamone "The Truth" Alvarez (21-3, 12KO's) will cross over the border and enter into foreign soil when he takes on Canada's Antonin Decarie (24-1, 7KO's) at the spectacular Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.The bout, scheduled for ten rounds, will headline that week's ESPN "Friday Night Fights".Alvarez-Decarie marks the return of Groupe Yvon Michel's highly regarded FAST AND FURIOUS boxing series, and is presented by the Casino de Montreal in collaboration with Videotron, and Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing.

The crafty southpaw Alvarez is no stranger to fighting on ESPN, having been showcased on the popular "Friday Night Fight" series numerous times throughout his career.Alvarez is coming off a very close tough majority decision loss in his last bout, and is looking to get back into the win column and make another charge towards challenging for a welterweight title.

Alvarez and Decarie are no stranger to one another, and have somewhat unfinished business together.The two were supposed to fight back in 2009, before Alvarez was forced to pull out after suffering a badly sprained knee just days before the fight.Terrance Cauthen, who Alvarez had previously defeated, went on to replace Alvarez and gave Decarie all he could handle before running out of gas and being stopped with one second to go in the 10th and final round.

Decarie's lone defeat came in May of 2010 when he lost a close decision against Souleymane M'Baye for the interim WBA Welterweight Championship.

On Saturday night London based Dutch Cruiserweight prospect Mitchell Balker got the first UK win under his belt, after beating Battersea’s fighting fireman Nick ‘The Ox’ Okoth, at the Graham Earl promoted ‘Capital Punishment’ event at York Hall in Bethnal Green.

Balker, who relocated to London in September last year to train with Johnny Eames at his Ultrachem TKO Boxing Gym in Canning Town, put the disappointment of losing his unbeaten record, when he faced #8 ranked Matty Askin on his British debut back in November last year, behind him and put on a dominating performance against the very tough Okoth.

Right from the opening bell Balker controlled the fight utilising crisp solid jabs to keep Okoth on the defensive, before swiftly moving in to land solid jabs and big right hands.

Round two see Okoth charge from his corner to take the fight to the Dutchman. Balker kept calm and stayed out of trouble by moving out of range and occasionally letting rip with accurate lefts and rights, to both head and body, that slowed the advancing Okoth considerably.

Round three see Balker shift up a gear and just plain out box Okoth by utilising crisp jabs and powerful combinations. Okoth pressured Balker onto the ropes, but the savvy Dutchman would just step around Okoth and launch controlled attacks of his own. Often just jabbing to the head but occasionally with a venomous three punch combination that ended with a solid left to the body.

Round four was more of the same and it was no surprise that come the final bell the referee declared Balker the winner by a clear 40-36 points margin.

Following the fight Balker said, “I got my win, my first in UK. I feel really good, my performance was good, I just got in the ring and did my thing. It’s good to win all four rounds. I felt strong and was totally in control and I pushed him. It went OK.

The body shots we worked on in the gym worked good. I went to Nick Okoth in the changing rooms after the fight and he told me like ‘if you had hit me two, three more times there I would go down, if you hit me more with the body shots I would go down’.

It was good performance but I could do more. I felt little bit slow but it was still good.

I want another fight soon, build on the win and show what I can do.”

Balker’s manager/co-trainer Johnny Eames added, “I thought that Mitchell performed really well. It’s his first outing since Matty Askin, and he was fighting Nick Okoth, who really is a very, very brave man and gave a very good performance.

Mitchell boxed extremely well, boxed to orders and did what he was asked to do. It’s a shame he had a little bit of a cold, otherwise he may have had a stoppage, mind you I wouldn’t wish that on anyone really, especially Nick as he’s a lovely kid. But I think Mitchell would have definitely got the stoppage win.

Mitchell is a work in progress and we’re looking to get him out again soon, he’ll be available here for any fights against anyone outside the top ten.”

Johnson, who took the bout on just a few days notice, controlled the pace from the outset, taking the fight right to Long. Johnson dropped Long twice in the eighth to go on to win by scores of 79-71 on all three judges scorecards.

Former WBU Lightweight Champion, turned promoter, Graham Earl promised closely matched, exciting fights on his return to York Hall on Saturday night with his ‘Capital Punishment’ event. Being a man of his word, that’s just what Graham delivered and much, much more.

For a start there were no less than three drawn bouts, albeit two being declared under the new BBBofC ‘technical draw’ rule. There was a massive upset, when Alex Spitko stopping Navid Iran. There was bloody drama when two fights were stopped due to bad cuts and there was controversy as Manny Oshunrinde was denied a clear stoppage win, only to receive a ‘technical draw’. More on these a little later.

The headline Southern Area Super Middleweight title clash between Paul Morby and Daniel ‘The Slick’ Cadman was a closely fought affair, so much so that after ten hard fought rounds the Referee declared the bout a draw.

The bout got of to quite a slow start as both protagonists feeling each other out, as such it was impossible to declare a clear leader after the first couple of rounds. Cadman had set his stall out, deciding to close the Champion down. Whilst Cadman did all the controlling it was Morby that landed the more meaningful punches, just not enough.

Round three was a much more lively affair, with plenty of back and forth exchanges. About midway through the round the crowd leapt to their feet as one as Cadman backed Morby onto the ropes and let rip with a powerful flurry of shots. Cadman was driven on, to try and finish the fight early following landing a vicious left to the body, that clearly hurt the Champion. Morby survived the onslaught but round three was clearly Cadman’s.

Cadman again seemed to hurt Morby with a an equally vicious left to the body in the fourth round. However this was the wake up call the Champion needed, Morby came back with some world class ring craft and salvo of punches of his own as he boxed his way out of trouble. Whilst again a very close round I felt that Morby had done just enough to claim the round.

Round five was all Cadman. The reigning champ showed he has the heart of a Lion, soaking up onslaught after onslaught , any of which looked sure to end the Champions reign at a moments notice. At times the round got messy, as Morby clung to Cadman in an effort to stop further punishing salvos. Cadman’s round for sure.

Round six was more or less an extension of the later part of the fifth, with Morby grabbing hold of Cadman each time he mounted an attack. Saying that there was some scintillating action, just more holding than action. Again I gave the round to Cadman as he was by far the more positive and landed the more meaningful, and hurtful, punches.

Round seven was again a close round, like in the previous rounds there was a lot of holding, but there was also plenty of back and forth action. I gave the round to Morby purely as he had landed the more telling punches.

Round eight saw some excellent action, between the holding that is. Again another very close round, this time I just couldn’t split the pair.

Round nine was a scrappy affair, but did include some fiery exchanges, as well as some rather amusing moments - first Cadman is sent head first through the ropes following some nifty footwork by Morby, who sidestepped an attack before spinning the flaying Cadman head first through the ropes.

Just moments later the tables were turned when Cadman stepped aside, matador style, as Morby charged forward. Morby’s pace was such that the momentum almost propelled him completely over the third rope and onto the officials table. Finally following another grappling session Morby gets pushed down to end up kneeling in front of less than amused referee.

At the end of the three minutes again it was impossible to declare a clear winner of the round.

With just the one round to go this fight could go either way. Morby comes out hard and fast but Cadman doesn’t seem fazed and stands his ground. Following yet more grappling sessions, interspersed by some scintillating back and forth action. Both gave there all, it was without doubt a magnificent, and again too close to call, final round, even with the holding and pushing, and truly deserving of the rapturous applause that ensued as the final bell rang.

The cheers quickly turned to jeers though as the referee lifted both Morby and Cadman’s hands high declaring the fight a 96-96 draw, as such Paul Morby gets to retain his title.

Hopefully there will be a rematch in the not to distant future.

Prior to the headline bout American Super Middleweight Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Oshunrinde was clearly robbed of his first win on British soil by the fight being declared a technical draw following the fight being stopped, in the first round, due to a serious cut over Smyle’s right eye.

Unlike the earlier technical draw decision, when a cut was caused by an accidental clash of heads, the cut to Smyle’s eye, as well as a serious swelling below the right eye, was caused by the many solid and highly accurate jabs and punches Oshunrinde landed throughout the short encounter.

Both protagonists started fast, however Oshunrinde quickly took control with his superior jab, often forcing Smyle backwards. Around half way through the round Oshunrinde again sent Smyle backwards, but this time followed up and let rip with a big left-right to the head.

Smyle covered up quickly, but not quick enough to stop another heavy straight right. Oshunrinde looked set to continue the onslaught but the eagle eyed referee had spotted the blood gushing from a cut above Smyle’s eye and called a halt to the proceedings.

The highly anticipated clash between Ultrachem TKO’s exciting London based Dutch Cruiserweight prospect Mitchell Balker and Battersea’s fighting Fireman Nick ‘The Ox’ Okoth proved to be one of the fight’s of the night.

Balker’s savvy ring craft proved to be too much for ‘The Ox’. Right from the start Balker controlled the fight utilising crisp jabs to keep Okoth on the defensive before moving in to land solid jabs and right hands before stepping aside to thwart any return salvos from the heavy handed Okoth.

Round two see Okoth charge from his corner before swinging wildly in a effort to gain a semblance of control. Balker kept calm and stayed out of trouble by moving out of range and occasionally letting rip with accurate lefts and rights that slowed the advancing Okoth considerably.

Round three see Balker step things up a notch and just plain out box Okoth with crisp jabs and wicked combinations. Each time Okoth advanced Balker would let him back him onto the ropes before spinning Okoth and launching a controlled attack of his own. Often to the head but sometimes with a peach of a three punch combination that ended with a solid left to the body.

Round four was more of the same and it was no surprise that come the final bell the referee declared Balker the winner by a clear 40-36 points margin.

Before the break Redhill’s Daryl Setterfield had a short and bloody battle with Jay Morris.

Prior to the fight stopping cut there wasn’t much to choose between the two as they slugged it out. However the turning point came about three quarter the way through the first round after an accidental clash of heads.

Blood gushed from a nasty cut above Setterfield’s left eye and in an instant Morris was all over him like a rash. Setterfield covered up, protecting the wound from possible more damaging blows, and soaked up the pressure until the bell.

World class cuts man Jimmy Tibbs got to work on the badly damaged eye as Johnny Eames calmed Setterfield, who looked concerned by the extent of the bleeding.

As the bell rang for the second round Morris shot across the ring and let rip with a series of massive bombs. However instead of covering up Setterfield returned fire with a brace of exocets of his own.

Both returned to boxing, rather than attempting to take the other’s head off, but following another close quarter exchange a second accidental head clash reopened the wound, leaving referee Bob Williams no option but to stop the fight and declare the bout a technical draw.

The third fight of the night was set to be a feisty affair, as both Sutton’s Danny ‘Cassius Connor and Stevenage’s Terry Holmes had publicly stated their intention of knocking the other out.

Round one started fast, Connor using his superior jab to keep the raging bull attacks of Holmes at bay. Connor showcased his boxing skills whilst Holmes seemed content to throw bomb after bomb whenever he got in range, or not as the case may be. It was a close round but I felt that Connor had done enough to secure the round.

Round two was more of the same, until around midway when one of Holmes’ bombs hit the target - hard. Feeling more confident Holmes went on the attack forcing Connor back. Connor continued to use his jab to keep the terrier like Holmes at bay, however Holmes just wouldn’t back down. I see the round in favour of Holmes.

Things settled down a bit in the third round and some good toe-to-toe action ensued. Holmes slowed things down a bit and instead of launching wild attacks started picking his punches. Connor was boxing beautifully but the tide had turned firmly in favour of Holmes with his more controlled approach.

Round four was more of the same again and at one point looked like Holmes may have the stoppage he predicted after landing a big right before pouncing on Connor with a flurry of big shots. Connor weaved and ducked but with his back to the rope didn’t seem to have an escape route so let rip with a few of his own. This was enough for Holmes to take to the back foot. Connor pushed forward and let rip with a salvo of his own. The crowd were on their feet as the action flowed back and forth until the final bell rang and Holmes was declared victor by a 40-36 points margin - whilst I agree Terry Holmes won the fight I don’t feel it was a four round shutout.

The second bout of the night see a massive upset as Navid Iran lost his unbeaten record to Mansfield’s Alex ‘Pit Bull’ Spitko.

The early going was all Iran, who dominated with vicious two handed attacks. At around the midway mark of the first round it seemed the fight may already be over after Iran landed a massive right. Spiko’s legs were gone, but somehow the plucky Latvian exile stayed on his feet to weather the storm.

The turning point of the fight came in the second minute of the third round when Iran seemed to run out of wind. Spitko turned the tables big time and let rip with a full blown salvo, Iran tried to run but Spitko stayed on him like a rash throwing flurries of shots until the referee Bob Williams stepped in to stop the fight at the 2 minute 39 second mark.

The opening fight of the night, between Joe Hillerby and Ryan Clark, also featured a battle of former World Champions turned trainers, as Graham Earl was in Hillerby’s corner and Carl Greaves in Clarke’s.

The normally fast starting Clarke seemed a little more cautious than normal, which allowed Hillerby to take the first couple of rounds by forcing the pace throughout.

Round three see the real Ryan Clarke emerge. Normal service is resumed as Clarke starts letting rip with heavy hands. Hillerby is made of sterner stuff though, standing his ground and trading with equal venom. Much closer round but Hillerby still gets the nod and is set for a good win.

More of the same in fourth with Clarke throwing everything but the kitchen sink in an effort to stop the advancing juggernaut known as the ‘Belfast Banger’. No surprise that Hillerby and Graham Earl come out the winners in this one.

Without doubt Graham Earl is a man of his word as ‘Capital Punishment’ featured well matched bouts that produced plenty of drama and excitement, as well as a little controversy to keep everyone talking.

So there you have it. London’s first boxing show of 2011, can’t wait for the next - Bring it on!